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G.R. WILLIAMS. BUTTON MACHINE.

No. 295,705. Patented MM. 25, 1884.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,.

Gr. R. WILLIAMS.

qBUTTON MACHINE.

Patented Mar. 25', 1884.

No. 295.705.v

N, PETERS Pwwuxrwgmpher. wnhinglon. A1C.

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Unire@ i Sfrarns 'arnnr @idrica GEORGE R. winLiAMs, or ITHACA, New YORK.

BUTTON-MACHINE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,705, dated March 25, 1884. A Application filed August 23, 1883. (No model.)

Taal/Z whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. WILLIAMS,

a citizen of the `United States, residing at` Ithaca, Tompkins county, N ew York, have invented an Improved Machine for Smoothing the Edges of Buttons, of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a machine with the following parts: first, a lathe-wheel containing aseries of mandrels or lathes, eachof the ,ends of which is utilized for polishing buttons; second, the belt, whichgives rapid motion to these lathes during a certain part of its rotation; third, a series of sliding and revolving spindles, which act as clamps or button-holders, and are actuated bysprings and cams while the lathe-wheel revolves; fourth, a hopper whence the buttons are fed to the lathe-chucks; fifth, a feed-spout thatautomatically separates the buttons as they come from the hopper; sixth, a guide-plate (or series of plates) that assists theentranee of the buttons into the chucks; seventh, a le or tool that polishes the edges of the buttons. These parts, as well as others associated with them,

will be apparent as I describe my invention.

Figure l is an endview or elevation of my machine, showing especially the smoothingle or polishing-tool in the space between the lathe or mandrelsupporting plate and the spindlesupporting disk, and the belt which rotates the button-lathes- Fig. 2 is a side view especially designed to show the plates and disks which compose the lathe-wheel. Fig. 3 is a view of the outer surface of one ofthe guide or centering plates attached to it. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional edge view of the joining of the ends of the parts of the guideplates to each other. Fig. 5 is a view of one of the spindie or button clamping disks, with its rim attached to it, and of the springs which operate the spindles. These spindles clamp `or hold the backs of the buttons while they are in the lathes. Fig. is a-sectional view of one of the disks and of its rim, and the positions of two of the spindles and of their springs and of the `top cam that opens the clamping'spindles to receive thebuttons are also shown. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of any one ofthe lathes ofthe lathefwheel and of its two spindle-clamps in their disks and rims. Fig. 9 is one of the lathes further enlarged, with a spindle-clamp on the left hand holding a button in a `lathechuck. Fig. l0 is a button-feed spout with two delivery-spouts therefrom, one leading to the spindle-clamps, of one side of the lathewheel and the other to the other side of the lathe-wheel. Fig. 11 shows the same feed-tube from above and its two delivery-spouts diverging to each side of the lathe.-wheel. Fig. l2 are two sectional views of the openings of Fig.

l1, and exhibits the buttons, one about to fall' into one of the dark spaces of Fig. l1V or the delivery-'spouts and the other rolling by on a ledge ofthe base of the spout. Fig. 13 is a modification of the feed-spout, showing the iirst or lefthand delivery-spout opening precisely` as in Figs. 11 and l2; but there is a descending curved delivery-spout in place of the right-hand spoutof the just-named figures, causinga halirevolution or turning about of the buttons as they roll vd Own it. They then enter the same delivery-spout alike. Fig. 14 shows the curved delivery-spout by side eleV vation. Fig. 15 is a section of a plate, guide-` plate, and disk, with set-screws that fasten the whole together. the lathes enlarged.

In the figures, c a is the frame of the machine, and b is a knob or enlargement of the frame, through which the arbor c passes, and by which it is held, on which is, the revolving lathe wheel d. The lathe-wheel is rotated by a band from any convenient source of power on thepulleyc, Fig. 2. This lathe-wheel has in its outer circumference, equally distant apart,lathes. (Shown in the figures to be twelve in number.) These lathes are simplya pulley, z', on a mandrel, i, with apertures in each end of the ,mandrels, in which are placed removable wooden chucks i, that are fitted to the size of the button j, Fig. 9, whose edges are Fig. 16 shows the chuck of to be smoothed, and are changed with each size of buttons made. This use oi' two chucksone at each end of each mandrel-duplicates vthe lathes, or allows each end of each lathe to be utilized. The lathe-wheel is composed of plates, disks, and rims, arranged parallel to each other and at right angles to the arbor o, on which they turn. Two of them-the central ones-are the plates'h It', Fig.2, which are plain and simple, having the arbor-aperture in them atftheir centers and the latheymandrel apertures near their outer edges, and these two plates are fast to each other and re- Y. volve together. They form a revolving frame attached to the disks are two partial disks or 1 rims, f j. (Seen in section in Fig. 7 These rims are circular pieces or liat rings of metal the size of the disks g g', extending toward the arbor c only a short distance, and fast to the zo disks, and revolve with them. These disks and rims sustain the spindles orbutton-clamps f, and hence they have apertures that hold the spindles, adjusted similarly to the lathemandrels, except that the spindles have an endwise motion as well as rotation, revolving with the lathe-mandrels whenever buttons arein the lathe-chucks, and are kept in contact with the lathe-chucks by the spri11gsf-one to each spindle-and acting on the spindle by a 3o groove cut in the spindles, as shown in Fig. 6, thus making a series of spindles and springs equal in number to and adjusted to lit or be opposite each its lathe-mandrel. The buttons enter each its chuck as the lathe-wheel is revolving, and these spindles or button-clamps (see Fig. 9) revolve with the buttons, and the lathe of which it is a fellow, by the revolution of the lathe being'eommunicated through the button. The springs f are preferably fiat, 4o as seen in Fig. 5, but may be other shaped and arranged differently. Cams m m are at the top of the wheel, and at the bottom are similar cams, m m,which open these spindle-clamps. These cams act, for convenience, on the projecting ends of the springs, and thus on the spindles; but other points of action may be selected, as on flanges or projections on the spindles themselves. The cams at the bottom open the spaces between the lathe-chucks and spindles, and buttons, with their edges finished,

drop out of the chucks as they successively arrive at these cams. When the cams at the top open the spindles, buttons drop into recesses or pockets in the guide-plate n, hereinafter to be described, and then are presented to the chucks as they successively arrive at the top. Next, on one side of the wheel is placed the means of revolving the lathes, as seen in Fig. 1, and it consists of the standard a-a part of 6o the frame of the machine which has the pulleys h5 IL, over which runs the belt L1t from any convenient vsource of power. The pulleys hold the belt, so that one after the other, by the revolution of the lathe-wheel, the lathepulleys come in contact with the belt, and are revolved, as it is shown they can be, for a certain space, (that or about that shown,) the lathes being rapidly revolved, and with them the buttons clamped by the spindles in the chucks in each end of each lathe-mandrel, this rapid revolution having been the object of the parts of the machine so far described. Next it will be noticed that in Fig. l a polishing-le, c, is shown in its place betweenv the Vdisk g andthe plate h, portions of the rim f y and disk g having been cut away to show it,

and which file is held by the arms c c Vin such a position that the edges of the buttons 3 are smoothed. The curve of this tool fits the curve of the lathe-wheel, and in width is suited to the space between the plate h and disk g. This iile, as already intimated, is adjustable by set-screws in the arms, but may be held by springs the better to fit any want of proper centering in the lathe-chucks. On each side of the lathe-wheel is a'file or tool, for the tool may be a steel file, a piece of polishing-stone, emery stick, or other article. Next, the method of feeding the buttons to the lathewheel: This consists of a hopper for holding a supply of buttons, in the bottom of which is an opening, through whichthe buttons slide or are fed to the inclined spout or conductor a. The position of the hopper is of but little consequence, but is shown directly over the lathe-wheel. The delivery-spouts a n receive the buttons by devices to be described, and they are of the inclination and length necessary to reach the U-shaped cavities in the edge of the guide-plate n4. The buttons slide unarranged into the tube n, and its channel is only wide enough for one button to roll edgewise in it, but long enough to receive many buttons; hence the buttons are in a series in this channel, as shown in Fig. 10, and some will be with their faces one way and some with their faces the other way. Next, buttons, as they roll down the channel a, have an edge nearer one side of the button-channel than to the other side of the tube or channel, and hence, if the bottom of the tube u is eut away, making an opening or aperture in it nearer one side of the channel than the other, as is shown in Figs. 1l and 12, some of the buttons that rolldown the channel will have their edges to enter the aperture s4, and some cannot enter this aperture, and thus all buttons, no matter how faced in the channel, will either drop through that aperture and go into the delivery-spout n or will roll on their edges by it on the ledge or uncut-away part of the bottom of the tube n', and, passing the delivery spout n, will fall into the -other spout, "C Thus the buttons will .be automatically IOO IIO

separated and go to the right or to the left hand duplication of the lathe-wheel, the delivery-spouts connecting the just-named apertures with the lathe-wheel spaces being made to diverge to each vside of the lathewheel, as seen in Fig. 11 and elsewhere. Next, when the buttons are thus guided to the lower ends of the spouts aa, the guide-plate n, Fig. 3, which is fast between thcplates 7i and g, Fig. 16, receives the edges of the buttons on its outer or convex surface, which surface has the excavations or cavities in it. The buttons then will roll or drop into these cavities n, when the cam m at the top of the lathe-wheel moves the spring f, and thus moves the clamp-spindles away from the mandrels of the lathes. The button, nowhaving entered the mandrel-chuck by the rotation of the lathewheel, passes this cam, and the spring, released, acts and holds the spindle to the button and the chuck, thus clamping the button, as has been shown in Fig. 9, until the cam m opens the spindle and drops it into the receptacle m', the smoothing le or tool o, band h, and

other parts acting as has been stated as the button passes the smoothing-space. The other duplication of the lathe-wheel actsin like manner, and so goes on the action of these parts as they reach both the top, the side, and

. the bottom of the lathe-wheel positions. rIhe guide-plate nt-is made of two parts, joined by by a lap (shown in Fig. 4E in section) and setpins nl. By this lap-junction the two parts of it are easily put in and taken out, since a f guide-plate must be made fit each size in diameter of buttons manufactured. Fig. 15 shows themanner of securing these two halves in the wheel, which is that the set-screws ai, which hold therlisk g to the plate h, Figs. 1 and 3, are loosened and the disk and plate separated a little, when the halves of the guide-plate easily go in, when these screws are tightened and the guide-plate is clamped between the plate and disk, as 'shown in Fig.V

15. Another device is` seen in Figs. 13 and 14. It is a variation of the feed and delivery spouts described, bntlinore difficult to comprehend. It consists of the tube a', with a cut-away aperture, s", as has been described,

. and which takes all the buttons faced one way;

but the buttons faced the other way enter a curved descending` tube, s, and are by it turned half-way about as they in single le descend this curved channel of the deliveryspout. In Fig. 18 the buttons are either faced toward x or toward there were no descent in the channel in the curve at the right hand of Fig. 13, the buttons rolledfroni ./t" to fr `would be changed half about. The descent in a curved channel makes no difference with that fact; hence those buttons faced toward x fall into the cavity s, and those thatface toward x go on by the ledge left in the bottom of the spout a', and enter the curved descending deliveryspout, which switches or faces them half about by its curve as they run down it, and when the buttons get to the base of this spout they are faced the. same way asthose that went through the aperture s This permits two kinds of buttons to be worked by a machine at the same time by duplicating` the hopper, downward -inclined spout a', the deliverytube at, and channel s.

It is clear that, if

Fig. let shows in elevation the same parts as Fig. 13. Ithas, however, an annex or com-` mon lower end delivery-spout, z, into which all the buttons come, and which is detlected to deliver them to either side of the lathel better seen in Fig. 16,where the parts already described of pulley, mandrel, sustainingplates are shown, with the wooden chuck 1)in the mandrel. The rest of the machine I have made is apparent to those familiar with `the art to which it appertains.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a machine for smoothing the edges of buttons, the receptacle which holds asupply of buttons, in combination with tubes or channels, substantially as shown, which automatically separate and convey the buttons to their appropriate places in the machine.

2, An inclined channel down which the buttous roll singly in a'series, provided with apertures in the base of it-one nearer one side th an the other-whereby the buttons faced one way fall intothe one aperture, and the but-` tons faced the other way pass on by the bridge left in the channel-base for their edges to'roll .on and fall into the other aperture.

3. A curved delivery channel connected with one or t-he other aperture in the main channel through which buttons'descend singly in a series, [whereby buttons wrongly faced in the main channel are reversed.

4. In a button-smoothing machine, the guideplate held in suitable relation to the latheholding disk or disks, and provided with U- shaped recesses or pockets, in combination with the lathes, lathe-chucks, and the clamping-spindles.

5. A lathe-wheel with a series of lathes near its circumference, in combination with a sta-` tionary concafe tool held in proximity to and adjustable to the buttons in the lathe-chucks, whereby as the wheel revolves the edges of the buttons are rotated in contact with the tool.

6. 'The combination of revolving buttonnishing wheel having lathes and clampingspindles with cams which open by means of projections on the spindles or their springs, `a space between the spindles and lathes to re-` ceive the buttons before the finishing-tool is reached, and which also open said spindles from the lathes to discharge the buttons after the finishing-tool is passed.

7. The combination of the main or feeding channel `having separating-exits in its base with the conveying-spouts which connect said main with the chucks of the lathes.

8. Ihe spindle supporting rims f f, in combination with the spindle-supporting disks/g roo g', whereby a frame with rotation on the axle with the button-lathes, which band rotates c is made. thelz'tthes While the buttons arepassing the fm- 1o 9. The lathe-plates 71J h', constituting the ishing-tool.

lathe-frame in combination with the lathes, T 5 said platesdor disks being on an axle, c, and GEO, R* WILLIAMS rotating thereon. Wtnesses:

10. The band h, provided with pulleys in a O. L. WILLIAMS,

supporting standard or part, in Combination S. J. PARKER.' 

